Defendants in the Italian ambassador murder case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have asked for bail pending a hearing and determination of the murder charges.
Five defendants accused of involvement in the murder of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year requested bail on Wednesday during a military court hearing in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital city.
The defense lawyer for the Congolese defendants requested that his clients be released on bail, claiming that “they are purely and simply innocent.”
Luca Attanasio, Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was among three people killed on February 22, 2021, when a United Nations convoy was ambushed in the DRC.
Mustapha Milambo, the driver, and Italian police officer Vittorio Iacovacci were also killed in the attack.
Lawyer Joseph Amzati argued on Wednesday that the military court lacked jurisdiction to try civilian defendants because it is only authorized to try military personnel.
However, prosecutor Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Malikidogo stated that the military tribunal was necessary because the accused used “weapons and ammunitions of war” in the attack.
He went on to say that releasing the defendants would be a scandal due to the “indescribable gravity” of their alleged crimes.
Congolese police announced in January that the alleged perpetrators of the 2021 attack had been apprehended, describing the ambush as a failed kidnap-for-ransom attempt.
The trial began on October 12, but it was immediately halted at the request of the defense attorneys, who claimed they had not seen the case file.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 26th.
